everyone in washington is happy about it. >> you have to understand that if he reaches out with a finger of bipartisanship, he's going to lose a pound of flesh in what he's going to have to give up. >> this is real money that is going to make a real difference in people's lives. >> two years is better than a tax hike on january 1 but it will not end the uncertainty. >> reporter: now here's a breakdown of what the deal entails. everyone will get the bush era tax rates for another two years. unemployment benefits are extended 13 months, and most workers will get a one-year cut in social security taxes. now can you believe it? this is a fire that started 24 hours ago in loudon county. a family spent a year building this home and they were slated to move in in a matter of days. >> two days ago it was standing, high, beautiful -- then the fire, it is all gone. >> reporter: flames still going and firefighters will let it

burn. they say there is just too much house and too dangerous for firefighters. and much too hashed for sam alabrahim to look at. he's the general contractor and the homeowner who put his heart and soul into the 6,000 square foot dream home. >> i worked on every inch of that house, you know. so when i see something like that, i'm just devastated. there are no words that just -- excuse me. to describe my feelings. >> reporter: flames broke out around 6:00 yesterday morning on canby road near leaseburg . the home nearly -- leesburg , the home nearly completed and hoping for a move-in date before christmas. you can still feel the enormous heat coming off the house. firefighters had a tough time in the snow and freezing temperatures trucking in tens of thousands of gallons of water, and also dealing with a pancake collapse when each floor ended up falling into the basement. >> all the water we were shoveling, spilling and moving

was freezing. >> alahabrihim aren't sure if he will rebuild but his friends do. >> they want to help put us back together again. >> reporter: in a matter of moments their holiday plans were extinguished. for alahabrihim and his fiancie it will be a tough christmas. but more important they realize they still have each other. >> reporter: the family has been staying in a condo in herndon as their home was being built. no cause for the fire has been determined and it may be very difficult for firefighters to figure that out. now, a check with our weather, tom sader in for topper. this weather is tough for firefighters trying to battle flames. >> when it is that cold you have to feel for those guys with the hoses and even though they wear the heavy garb that is heavy work. >> we got a little bonus in the temperature category. expecting 36, we made it up to 38. but the clearing has really started to become more widespread across the area. and the winds are light. that is great news.

we don't have the strong roughlying winds -- rustling winds. last couple of weeks. there is an old saying that no weather is ill if the wind is still. so it can be cold and will continue to get colder now that we have clear skies. temperatures in the 20, below freezing. many areas will see teens overnight. the big story, the coastal storm. it will still develop. it has yet to develop. where? that's the big question. that means everything for us. so we will run through computer models in the forecast for you in just a few minutes. thank you, tom. plenty of criticism tonight. metro's plans to randomly screen riders' bags. a cclu says types of searches are ineffective and intrusive and it is considering legal action, if metro refuses to stop. bruce leshan is live at dupont circle where he says a whole lot of riders seem to agree with the aclu that this is just too much. >> reporter: yes, so many people rebelled against the idea of random searches two years ago, that metro backed

down. but now the idea is back. metro says similar searches are working in boston, and in new york. and in new york, the court has upheld the reality in the face of an aclu lawsuit. clearly the terrorists would revel in a spectacular attack here in the capital of the united states. and that may legally justify special measures. but plenty of people think random searches are an invasion of privacy, and simply will not work. >> there has to be a line. -- if i had to go through a search, through something that happened to be in my purse that perhaps was giving the same signal. >> usually when i'm on the metro i'm in a rush. i hope it doesn't delay my trip too much. >> everybody has privacy. you want to respect privacy. >> the american civil liberties union believes we can be safe and free. but we can't be safe if we're not free. >> reporter: now police say

they will only go through your bag if a machine and a dog alert on it. and if you don't want to be searched, you don't have to come in. critics say that that is one of the big problems. if you -- if you see a -- if a terrorist sees there is a search going on here at the top of the escalators at dupont circle he can walk a few blocks down and go in at another entrance where they are not searching. good point. thank you, bruce. in los angeles, detectives working the case of the grim sleeper face a grim task. and that is, trying to identify more possible victims of an alleging serial killer. the grim sleeper is the nickname given to suspect lonnie franklin, , jr. police have now released pictures they found in franklin's home. photos of 160 women in sexually explicit poses. detectives are concerned and some of these women might also be murder victims whose bodies have not been either discovered or identified. >> these photos go back 2 0 and

30 years. people will have changed their appearance. people will have aged. we're very interested enemy identifying these individuals and speaking with them if at all possible. >> reporter: at this point franklin only faces charges in the murders of 10 women. he's pleaded not guilty. more tonight on the attempted sex assault inside a bathroom in a middle school. baltimore county police have 21- year-old sean slay in custody. they say he attacked a 7th grade boy. slay apparently told police he had intentions to have sex with the boy and he picked the victim because he was blond and small. he shoved a sock in his mouth and forced him into a stall. >> the student did cry out, and immediately stab staff was nearby and our school resource officer were able to respond and immediately confront the intruder. the student was able to get away unharmed. >> slay is being held at the baltimore county detention center in towson. his bail is set at $1 million.

investigators have searched the baltimore home of a campaign worker who organized last minute robo call in the maryland governor's race. the man's name is julius whenson. he was on the payroll -- henson. he was on the payroll of bobber lick who lost to governor -- bob erlich who lost to governor martin o'mallly. the calls encouraged voters to stay home, telling them o'malley had already won the race. we have been reporting on the shocking news out at redskins park sunday, there will be a new starting qb. fans are going wild online, on our facebook page and on wusa 9.com. dave owens is live at redskins park. a lot to talk about here, dave. >> yes, donovan mcnabb out. rex grossman in. when did you ever think you would hear that? that's the new reality out here at redskins park. and now that the team is mathematically out of the playoffs, mike shanahan said it is time to find out what he's

got at quarterback beyond donovan mcnabb. it has been no secret that he and his son offensive coordinator kyle have been frustrated with mcnabb and the offense. donovan hasn't had the best weaponry to work with. but he also hasn't played well either. he's near the bottom of the league in quarterback rating. more picks than touchdowns. rex grossman will get the start coming up against the cowboys. mike shanahan didn't let the quarterbacks know until thursday so the players didn't know until today. their reaction, what was it? well, we will tell you that coming up here in a couple of minutes. for now live at redskins park. back to you in the studio. thank you, dave. very interesting. but first, a metro buses caught on tape a gang of girls pouncing on a pregnant teenager. more details next.

welcome back. you are looking at a frightening bus attack in

seattle. the victim is a pregnant teenager. she and her boyfriend were attacked by a group of four girls and a 19-year-old woman on a metro bus. and it was all captured on security tape. police say the attacks with a diversion in part for some members of the group to pick pocket the boyfriend. the pregnant teen was not seriously hurt. the 19-year-old attacker was abingdon harford, and charged with assault and the other -- was arrested and charged with assault and the other girls were charged with second degree robbery. wikileaks founder julian assange is speaking out again. a a day after being released on bail assange says he fears the united states is getting ready to do it him but he insists his website will continue its work, despite what he has called a smear campaign against him. >> and the united states recently has shown that its institutions seem to be failing. they are failing to follow the rule of law. and a super power that does not follow the rule of law is a serious business.

>> reporter: assange says wikileaks is resilient and can with strand what he calls decapitation attacks. assange was never arrested for leaking document bus for a long list of assault charges in sweden including rape and molestation. an unbelievable teacher wish list. find out what has got some local parents buzzing. hello, i am here in lockheed, germany. i would like to send a happy holidays to my aunt ruby, aunt jean, aunt connie living in washington d.c. i just want to say a big happy holidays and that i love you all.

welcome back. manassas family is in mourning

tonight. there son sean cutsforth was killed this week in afghanistan. >> reporter: their car sticker says it all. these are proud parents of an army soldier. but now those same parents are left with heavy hearts knowing their son isn't coming home from war. >> he was my baby. he was there for me. >> 22-year-old specialist sean cutsforth was killed by small arms fire in afghanistan according to his family. they say he had been there since february this year. >> he was doing what he wanted to do. he wanted to serve his country. and he was proud to do it. >> reporter: according to his loved ones he was also proud to help his friends back here in his community of manassas. he graduated from princeville district high school. those close to him say he had a reputation for always lending a hand to anyone who needed it. >> great young man that helped huge number of people. >> reporter: the soldier's family and friends tell me he was not only a giving member of

his community but he was also a star athlete growing up and here at this high school. >> one of the highlights that i remember is when i went to go watch him play in an all-star game and he got upset the umpire didn't call a strike. the next ball got stuck in the backstop. >> now his coach, family and members of his community with coming together this holiday season to pay tribute to their son and friend. the young man they all call their hero. >> thank god we have family as far as -- it is the -- it is what keeps us going and it's tough. very tough yeah. >> reporter: in manassas, 9 news now. cutsforth's family tells us he also leaves behind a wife who was expecting their first child, a baby boy. honda is recalling about 35,000 pastport suvs. there -- passport suvs. there may be a problem with the brackets on the rear suspension. inspectors say the brackets could detach that could lead to crash. the recall involves passports

from the 1988-02 model years and limited to 21 states including maryland and the district where road salt is used during the winter. a well-meaning pta in frederick county has sparked a debate about what is appropriate when it comes to giving gifts to your kids' teacher. >> the pta asked teachers what they wanted tore christmas and sent the list home with their kids. that list including included everything from school supplies to gift cards from posh stores and silver jewelry. one etiquette expert says there is nothing wrong with giving modest gifts to teachers but a list is over the top. school officials sa say no rules were broken. >> this is a story that has snowballed way out of proportion. it has bah humbug and the grinch and scrooge all over it. >> the best gift is from the child. even just a card saying i appreciate your being my teacher. thank you. >> reporter: by the way, teachers and administrators in frederick county are showing

their generosity by donating thousands of personal care items to the county's 400 homeless students. now we're in the final push for toy drive 9. as you can see here the donations are coming in but we could use a little help, especially for children 0 to 3 years old and our teenagers. if you want to give back, team up with us and the marines, you can donate a new unwrapped toy to any local fire station through december 22. you can get more information at www.wusa9.com. just click on toy drive 9. very nice. boy, much nicer today, but tough go yesterday. i'm sure a lot of folks got a good night's sleep last night after -- >> yeah after that drive home. >> : yeah, treacherous. but today better with help of sunshine. it was very nice. we were not the only ones in on snow. in fact, it was a brody area. even down to the south. this is the hampton roads. 2 to 4 in the peninsula. >> are they doing that on purpose? >> did the store lose his layaway item? did he not get the extra 20%

off his wife's holiday gift? that is terrible. but this is a widespread event. this is one area the hampton roads area in southeastern parts of virginia that could still -- could still see a little bit this weekend. you know. it's not in the books yet but we have a coastal storm that is developing, and it looks like right now, we will be far enough off the coast not to affect us. this is a big difference in the last 24 hours. 34degrees. we have dropped 4 since just before 5:00. it feels like 29. at least the winds are light. we're not having the gusts at 25, 30 or 35. all right, satellite radar picture, still light snow up in the pittsburgh area. if you're traveling this weekend up in that area or further north -- if you're heading north of new york into new england and boston, the coastal storm -- i still believe it will still form. it is still going to trek northward. it is still going to affect new england and could be substantial amounts of snowfall. so, again, that would be probably be late into sunday, into monday. if you have plans to head up there, monitor their forecast

as well. we're looking at breaks in the cloud cover. we're seeing the temperatures fall very quickly. so refreezing will occur. we're almost down to the freezing mark. 34 at reagan national. 23 in manassas. 25 gaithersburg . leesburg at the freezing mark. windchill doesn't play a role although it does feel like 9 degrees in oakland. here's the u.s. picture. much of the country is looking at unseasonably cold numbers. we're not the only ones. you have to go back to the first day of december when we were up to 65 to get above average. but the cold air all the way down to the deep south. and it is just beginning. there is a lot of moisture out here, too. i should show you california. l.a. will be measuring rainfall in triple-digit inches. that's how much. we will be hearing about the mud slides and the lake effect snows. but all eyes down to the south. moisture getting its act together. the mechanic starting to come together. computer models finally starting to have convergence in their thoughts. will the storm hug the coast and give us significant snows? high pressure gives us some

sunshine tomorrow but here comes the coastal storm getting very close. now this is just one computer model. we use these to forecast. remember when you sit at the card table and play this gard card game mother nature is sitting there, too. and she always has the trump card. so where it will develop? how strong will it be? this is a thought and guidance. give or take a couple hundred miles and we're into snowfall, southeastern parts of virginia and the eastern shore. if it's really off course, we could be looking at significant snow. right now let's favor that model. the forecast drops from a 50- 50 chance yesterday to no chance at all. that's fabulous news. still looking at unseasonably cold numbers and refreezing tonight and tomorrow. again, still untreated surfaces and roadways out there in real spots so everybody slow down a little bit and keep bundled up. but at least that is great news right now. more tonight when the new models come out. we have to worry about the refreeze, too. >> absolutely. now we want to head back to dave owens at redskins park

with a big that you canner tonight. the qb shake-up. hi, dave. >> you know, for all of those people who thought a mike shanahan regime would mean less drama? well, you might want to think again. and season of tuggling personnel moves, he makes a bold move concerning his most important player on the field. all that from redskins park right after the break.

welcome back everybody.

you know, april 6 must seem like a decade ago now. that was the day donovan mcnabb was introduced as the quarterback here at redskins park. and fans and teammates they stood in this very parking lot and proclaimed finally we have a guy who can lead us back to respectability. turns out that was nothing more than a pipe dream. eight games in he was benched. eight weeks later he's been bench again. coach shanahan saying he needs to test out rex grossman now and john beck. he was very frank. donovan may not be here next year. >> i cannot guarantee him that he would be back next year. i said i can't guarantee you that. what i can guarantee is that i will be honest with you. i will evaluate the situation. i said i'm not sure what we're going to do in the college draft if we're able to get the top quarterback in the draft if there was a young donovan mcnabb or a sam bradford. >> reporter: mcnabb's agent not the least bit pleased saying quote disrespectful is probably not a strong enough word.

donovan has handled himself with class, not just in washington but as an ambassador for the league. to treat him this way is beyond disrespectful. end quote. teammates didn't even know a change was coming. they didn't find out until they got to work today. all season long these guys have been answering questions about haynesworth and devin thomas and hunter smith and clinton portis. you can add this one to the police now. >> at the end of the day you don't have time to be surprised. you have to go with it. >> i guess i'm surprised. i don't know. >> i think it is pretty obvious what is at stake. i'm very excited about it. it's a unbelievable opportunity to go down to dallas in this rivalry game and show what i can do with this offense and this team. >> reporter: well, you can compare careers. grossman has thrown for just over 6,000 yards, 33 touchdowns and 36 interceptions. let's talk some maryland football here real quick. they were in a little bit of a

pickle because they owed offensive coordinator james franklin $1 million, if he wasn't given a head coaching position by 2012. they don't have to worry about that. he became the head coach, introduced at the university of vanderbilt this afternoon. it is his first coaching job ever. he takes over a program that has only won one bowl game in 28 years. he said he's happy to be there. he explained why he left college park. >> i was in a situation where i didn't really have to take a job. it was going to take something really special to get me to jump on board we have a chance to do something here at vanderbilt generative that has never been done before. and that's what i am excited about. >> reporter: our game of the week, d.c. high school sports.net, basketball game of the week, yorktown at wakefield . log on to www.d.c .highschoolsports.net. that will do it here from redskins park. back to you in the studio. been a wild day here at redskins park.

oh, boy, lots of controversy. thank you, dave. that will do it for us for 9 news now at 6:00. have a great night everybody.